The Canterbury Tales

Grade Levels

Excerpt

• Who did the narrator meet at the Tabbard Inn? a. He met the King of England b. He met the Archbishop of Canterbury c. He met 29 pilgrims d. He met St. Thomas a Becket
• Why was everyone at The Tabbard? a. There was a band of highwaymen on the road and the people were afraid to travel. They were waitingfor the King's soldiers to come and escort them. b. They were on their way making a pilgrimage to Canterbury. c. They had come to celebrate the baptism of the King's youngest son. d. Over half the group had taken ill. They were recuperating at the inn.
• What were they going to see? a. They were going to see the relics of the True Cross. b. They were going to see a special presentation of the Passion play. c. They were going to see a spring that was supposed to have miraculous healing powers. d. They were going to see the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket.
• He has been in many battles. He was true and gentle. a. The Knight b. The Yeoman c. The Sergeant at Law d. The Merchant
• He was the son of the Knight, in his twenties, agile, strong, and happy-go-lucky. a. The Plowman b. The Squire c. The Reeve d. The Pardoner
• He was the Squire's servant. He was a woodsman, a Robin Hood type character. a. The Host b. The Shipman c. The Yeoman d. The Manciple
• She spoke French, was dainty and pleasant, and the picture of medieval beauty. a. The Prioress/Nun b. The Wife of Bath c. The Cook d. The Weaver
• These people were in the nun's group. a. One priest and three students b. Four nuns c. Two converts, one priest, and one nun d. One nun and three priests
• He was bald and fat. He had a preference for fine clothes and luxuries. He didn't like hard work, but he did like to ride. a. The Knight b. The Monk c. The Squire d. The Franklin
• He takes bribes for easy penance. He knows the taverns and barmaids better than he does the lepers and beggars. He is rather aristocratic, and he lisps. a. The Pardoner b. The Parson c. The Friar d. The Summoner
• He has a forked beard and a motley coat. He is careful with money, a good negotiator, and always tells his opinions about business. a. The Haberdasher b. The Shipman c. The Merchant d. The Host
• This pilgrim was an Oxford student who didn't say much, didn't have a job, and just loved learning for the sake of learning. a. The Clerk b. The Squire c. The Franklin d. The Prioress/Nun
• He seemed wise. He made a lot of money. He seemed busier than he really was. a. The Knight b. The Squire c. The Manciple d. The Sergeant at Law
• He looked a little like Santa Claus. He liked to eat, drink and be merry. He was a country gentleman with a dagger and a silk purse. a. The Yeoman b. The Franklin c. The Host d. The Pharmacist

About

This is actually an eNotes inspired document. It is a multi-part test that begins with questions from eNotes' lesson plan pack on the General Prologue and identifying characters through given descriptions, then it moves into the specific details of the Pardoner's and Wife's tales, and then it goes on to the history of the Middle Ages as given in the Holt, Rinehart, and Winston (Sixth Course-the purple one) adopted textbook in TN.